Apple and Samsung CEOs Agree to Meet Regarding Patents

The executives and general legal counsel from both Apple and Samsung have agreed to meet in San Francisco to discuss a settlement to the on-going patent litigation between the two companies. Presiding Judge Lucy Koh issued an order that read: "The parties have indicated that they are willing to participate in a Magistrate Judge Settlement Conference ('MJSC'). Therefore, the parties are hereby referred to an MJSC with Magistrate Judge Joseph Spero with a 90-day deadline. As the parties have indicated in their joint statement, the chief executive officer and general counsel of Apple and the chief executive officer and general counsel of Samsung shall appear and participate at the MJSC." The two companies have lawsuits pending in nine countries, including the U.S. The patent war was kicked off in April 2011 when Apple sued Samsung for "slavishly" copying its iPhone and iPad designs. The mitigation meeting was not 100% voluntary, though it wasn't 100% compulsory, either. Two patent trials between the companies are scheduled to kick off during the summer months.

I've actually liked what I've seen so far from Tim Cook...he's not as much of a fanatic as Steve Jobs was, and he does not have the secret to the fabled 'reality distortion field'.....I think that Tim Cook is probably the guy behind the recent decisio...(continues)